The Bali provincial administration plans to propose a bylaw protecting the
sale and consumption of local fruit as it faces a flood of imported
fruit in traditional and supermarkets on the island.

The proposed
bylaw is the initiative of the Bali Legislative Council, which thought
that the markets being inundated with imported fruit would badly affect
the sale of local fruit, as well as its cultivation.

“I strongly
support the council’s initiative to prepare a draft bylaw for the
protection of local fruit,” declared Governor Made Mangku Pastika during
a meeting with the council’s members and the media to publicize the
draft bylaw.

The proposed bylaw will cover a number of crucial
issues related to the consumption and sale of local fruit, including
requiring the tourist and hospitality industries to procure and serve
local fruit instead of presenting foreign fruit on their menus.

“We
encourage the participation of all stakeholders on the island,
including hotel managements, restaurant owners, supermarket managements
and the people, as well encouraging them to adopt the regulations
stipulated in the proposed bylaw,” the governor said.

Pastika also
added that implementing the planned bylaw would improve living
conditions for local farmers and thus, at the end of the day, would also
help reduce poverty in Bali.

Data from the Bali Agriculture
office shows that Bali’s local fruit harvests amounted to 244.5 million
kilograms in 2011, while consumption of these tropical fruits reached
only 48.9 million kilograms.

This meant that the unconsumed tropical fruit amounted to 194.4 million kilograms.

“It
has been a great challenge for us to think about optimizing our surplus
fruit harvests. The planned bylaw is expected to regulate the trade of
these fruits,” he said.

The planned bylaw will be in line with the
administration's organic and agriculture program. The Bali organic
program aims to develop the agriculture sector by encouraging the
implementation of organic farming through the government-sponsored Bali
integrated agriculture system (Simantri).

Pastika hoped the tourist industry would support the attempt to protect local fruit by serving it to their guests.

"Our
local fruits are delicious and vary in type. Many tourists are actually
more interested in tasting tropical fruit while they are on holiday
here," he said.

By procuring and serving local fruit, the tourist
and hospitality industries will contribute greatly to the development of
the island’s agriculture.